I was 4 for 4 this month so I hope at least one of these interests you too! Happy Reading!

I kicked off the month with Red, White and Royal Blue which was my first same-sex romance to read (or listen to) and I really found it quite charming. We meet Alex who is the First Son of the United States and then we meet Henry who is the Prince of Wales. Living life in the spotlight, the two have had several tense run-ins in the past. When they meet up at a royal wedding, a drunken Alex bumps into Henry and they both go tumbling down, along with the wedding cake. The men are forced into a fake friendship to calm the tabloids and trick the public into believing that they are not enemies. Because of their forced proximity, the two men start to have feelings for each other. But this is new for Alex. He dates women. Only women. Right?
Here is what I loved… Alex and his sister’s relationship. They have both lived life in the public eye and each want different things out of life, but they are so, so supportive and protective of each other. Henry and his sister’s relationship. I could say the exact same thing about the two…so protective and supportive of each other. (I love strong sibling bonds.) Alex’s mother and father…divorced but both present and available for their children. Alex and Henry’s emails to each other. I loved the quotes and historical references. I also enjoyed how observant and intuitive the two were with each other.
You should note that there are politics involved in the book and also intimate scenes.

This quote referring to Alex casting his vote in the presidential election was one of my favorites...
“The machine chirps its approval. And to its gently humming mechanisms he could be anybody. One of millions. A single tally mark worth no more or less than any of the others."

Next up was More than Words. I was excited about this one because I really enjoyed The Light We Lost, also by Jill Santopolis. And guess what? I loved it! Nina is an only child raised by her father who is a very successful businessman in NYC. When her father passes away, she is expected to follow in his footsteps and take over the family’s successful hotel chain. She loves her current job writing political speeches but knows her father would want her to carry on the family’s legacy and uphold his reputation. Nina is set to do just that when she uncovers a secret (or two) that could ultimately change the course of her life. Nina experiences love, loss, friendship and betrayal as she discovers who she is and what she wants for herself and her life. Such a good book!

So, as I sat down to review The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, I noticed that it is 3 of 3 in a series of which I have not read the other two. Oops! I am going to go out on a limb and say that you do not have to read these in order to enjoy them because I really, really liked this book without having read the other 2! =)

First things first, the character development in the book was so well done and thorough! I felt like I could see the facial expressions the characters were making…like I knew these people! Anna is a violinist who is struggling to live up to the standards of success she has put upon herself. She is a people pleaser to a fault and it takes her lots of heartache and therapy to finally realize this. After being told by her long time boyfriend that he wants an open relationship, Anna meets Quan on a dating site. Quan is as endearing and complicated as Anna. Anna and Quan are both so vulnerable and have so much self doubt, yet are incredibly accepting of each other. I just wanted to hug them both and say, “Don’t you see what a catch you are? Don’t you know how smart and thoughtful you are?”

Parts of this book were infuriating and heartbreaking, but others were hopeful and lovely. It was raw and real and just a really thought provoking read. Can’t wait to hear what you all think of this one!

I closed out the month with The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and man did I love it. Olive Smith is a 3rd year PH.D. candidate working in a lab. She is dedicated and passionate about making advances in early cancer detection. (Shoutout to women in science!) Olive knows that her roommate, Anh, has a crush on her ex but refuses to act on it out of respect for Olive. So…what does Olive do??? She kisses the nearest warm body to convince Anh that she has moved on. And who is that warm body??? None other than the highly successful and highly intimidating Dr. Adam Carlsen! Adam agrees to “fake date” Olive for the next 6ish weeks. He’s got his own motives so Olive doesn’t have to feel too bad about putting him out. You can guess where this is going and these two are just adorable so you will certainly enjoy the ride! I may or may not have a fictional character crush on Adam. ;)

*There are some deeper things touched upon (sexual harassment and death of a parent) so it is not 100% light and fluffy. AND, I always like to give a heads up about intimate scenes, so keep that in mind.

That’s it! Share your thoughts in the comments!

See all of the books I’ve read so far in 2021 here and those I read in 2020 here!

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